A Day To Remember

The cool crisp air came and went in gusts as if the city was breathing. Under normal circumstances the cold weather would be scorned, but due to the fact that these aren’t normal circumstances, the scorned has become the desired. Standing shoulder to shoulder, sharing the crowd’s body heat, I stand and stare at the podium. Beads of sweat the size of peas trace a line of salt down the back of my neck. Peas that are ignored as I, among thousands of others just like me, strain to hear the future. The future embodied in a voice so melodic I begin to wonder if I’m in a dream. It’s as if all my anxiety and stress is being gently lifted. Lifted off of my shoulders in one sweet caress and replaced with warmth, comfort, and hope; the like of which is comparable to falling asleep in front of the fire with my loved one resting in my arms.

“This is the one we’ve all been waiting for Thomas,” I hear from a rather large man to my right.

The large mans booming voice erupted like a volcano, catching me off guard and tearing me from my thoughts, yet was apparently unheard by his comically small companion beside him. The large man appeared to be of Middle-Eastern background, while his smaller counterpart was that of European descent. Here were two men brought up so different, able to share one vision; the vision of equality. It shone in their awestruck faces as brightly as the sun on a clear afternoon as they looked upon the newly elected president. The wind suddenly, blowing in synchronization with my breath, bears the sweet essence of fresh greens. I spin around, my eyes blurring concealing the world from me, before coming to rest on the source of the modestly priced Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca Perfume. Modest though it may be, it drives my senses wild. Only one woman I know can inspire such emotion in me, my sweet Eva.

I think to myself, “Nothing can beat this moment in time, this moment of…”

Before I can finish this thought, in the blink of an eye, everything changes. It is as if the space in the city this crowd has occupied for the past 20 minutes has been an anthill, and just now, along came a child kicking and stomping. Screams tear through the sky as this autumn day goes from a day to remember, to a day to forget.

“NOOOOOOO!” bellows the large man, agony in his eyes, as his vision is ripped to pieces right in front of his face, this vision of equality, this vision of peace.

As people rush by, back and forth, unaware of their direction but just hoping to escape this madness, I barely catch a glimpse of Thomas on his knees, arms raised to the heavens, silent, and lost.

“EVA,” I scream desperately, needing comfort on this desperate day, “where are you?”

Gone; my Eva has disappeared in this chaos. All I can taste is blood as I pick myself off of the ground, not knowing how I ended up there to begin with. Tears begin to stream down my face as if pouring from an endless vat as I stumble upon the listless body of the recently deceased president of hope.

“What has this world come to? Will it never change?” I ask nobody in particular, expecting nothing but the wailing of the crowd.

“Only God knows the answer to that question, and I don’t see him giving any answers,” Thomas replies from behind me.